Investigating the Authenticity of Paintings and Drawings believed to be by or Attributed to;

Stanhope Alexander Forbes, R.A.

Stanhope A. Forbes.

1857 - 1947.

Father of the Newlyn School

There is obviously no necessity for a full biography of the life of Stanhope Alexander Forbes here, it has been documented extremely well by other commentators,with the exception of saying that inevitably, he was imitated. And as any attempt at imitation is clearly an attempt at deception when the work is bearing a signature claiming to be his, due to the vastly increasing values of his works of art in recent years and the quantity of works of art he produced in his lifetime, today, all manner of paintings claiming to be his, either deliberately faked, or more commonly, misrepresented or simply misattributed to this hand, sometimes many years ago, either mistakenly or deliberately, do appear on the open art market.

It may well be true that there are some works that were either lost, mislaid, or have been with families across the world for aeons and have never surfaced, still yet to be documented. But it must be said, some of the Stanhope Alexander Forbes works that do appear on the open market will need seriously investigating to be absolutely certain of both their legitimacy or a previously given attribution.

Falsified works can be effected simply by the inclusion of a copied signature or a monogram placed on a work of art that is just a similar or early type, style, or the subject matter to that of Forbes. A previous signature which has been deleted from an old painting with a new one added is common. It is no wonder that question marks can and sometimes do arise about the authenticity of some of his paintings and confusion as to whether they were just from his studio, by one of his pupils or from someone in his circle.

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We are international fine art consultants, specialising in conducting full investigations into the authenticity of works of art created by artists in all categories, all regions and from historical eras, alongside scrutinizing their provenance.

Confidentially serving both private individuals and corporate clients from around the world for over 45 years, we can assist and advise you in all fine art related matters, particularly issues of authenticity, legitimacy and the attribution of old and modern master works of art. Including the fine works of Stanhope Alexander Forbes, his circle and followers, or any paintings or works of art that you are unsure about.

Some examples of Forbes works and those signed with that name, appear below. No inference or question is made as to their authenticity, moreover they are a representational view of the types of works offered for sale at auction internationally some of which will need to be understood and sometimes specifically qualified and authenticated.

Both the duration and direction of any attribution or investigation of the authenticity of an art work will always vary from project to project, but there are clear and well defined professional formalities, responsibilities and areas of scrutiny that we can assist you with including:

Authentication: Authentification: Conducting and directing comprehensive investigations
and in depth research, with a view to establishing a correct, complete and
formally recognized certification of a work of art. One that is absolutely upheld by the
appropriate, legally acknowledged and internationally sanctioned authority, body or
expert on that given artist.

Directing
detailed and complicated inquiries with multilingual, international academic research and any
forensic applications that are required.

Attribution:Identifying and confirming
the identity of a previously anonymous artist, studio or workshop from which a
work of art most likely originated. Including the re-examination and investigation of a
previous attribution which may be incorrect, or the scrutiny of an attribution
that has been formally questioned or doubted.

Confirmation: Undertaking research and investigations into the legitimacy of the provenance, history and prior ownership of a work of art and establishing its own
accuracy.

Scrutiny: Examen minutieux: Identifying fake works of art
and forgeries, including any false supportive accompanying documentation and
determining works of art which may be studio or later copies, or previous incorrect
attributions.

Prosecution:Poursuite: Investigating alleged art fraud and forgery and assisting and advising those who
are , or may be considering litigating or prosecuting the fact. This includes
legal professionals and private clients.

Attention:Conducting all fine art related due diligence and duty of care
inquiries. Including safe prepurchase or sale related audits and assisting
clients in consolidating a well balanced future family distribution.

Appraisal:Évaluation - Valuations, quality and condition reports.

Step one in the Art Authentication and Attribution process.

Stanhope Alexander Forbes

The Pre-Authentication Assessment.

Before you begin any art authenticity, legitimacy, or any artist attribution investigation, it is more than wise to have an impartial preliminary assessment of the viability of the project conducted first. Made to independently and rationally balance any negative issues there may be against the positive elements. Treat this study as your safety net.

We will be happy to professionally undertake this for you, based upon good quaity images that you supply and all the known facts regarding its acquisition, the history and provenance of the work of art as is known to you.

You will then have a far better understanding of the prospects and pitfalls that could lie ahead.

It is important to understand the auction terms used in any published descriptor and to be cautious of works that may just be painted in the style or manner of the artist, or even the stylized - would be copies of his works which happen to bear a signature or monogram. In this case the paintings and drawings of Stanhope Alexander Forbes.

Where the name, Stanhope Alexander Forbes is given with the first name/s and surname of the artist, usually as Stanhope Alexander Forbes, then in their professional opinion they are in no doubt, it is the genuine and authentic item, one painted by the artist himself,Stanhope Alexander Forbes.

When Attributed to Stanhope Alexander Forbes, or Stanhope Alexander Forbes is similarly written or used as ascribed to or Attrib, abbreviated, then in their opinion it is 'probably' a work by the artist, at least in part. But... there is no guarantee. It's only an opinion.

When Stanhope Alexander Forbes; “School of, or Studio of ….” or “Workshop of Stanhope Alexander Forbes " or attelier of Stanhope Alexander Forbes " is used, this means that in their opinion it is a work executed in the studio of the artist. Possibly by an apprentice or a pupil under the principal artists supervision and guidance.

But if the term Stanhope Alexander Forbes circle of, or “Circle of Stanhope Alexander Forbes ” is specifically used, then in their opinion, it is a work only of the period of the artist and showing his influence, or closely associated with the artist, BUT not necessarily by his pupil or student.

When the name is given; Painted in the “Style of Stanhope Alexander Forbes ” or “Follower of Stanhope Alexander Forbes
is used, this means that in their opinion it is a work of art executed only in the artist’s way, his 'style', but not necessarily by a pupil. But it may be contemporary, or nearly contemporary of the artist.

If the phrase in the “Manner of Stanhope Alexander Forbes is used or is defined….” then in their opinion it's also only a work painted in the style of the artist but of a later date and definitely not by the artist himself.

When the term “After….Stanhope Alexander Forbes"; is the term used, then in their opinion it is a copy (made at any date) of an authentic and original work by the artist. This also applies to prints made 'after' an original work of art either by the artist himself or another artist/ or printmaker..

Signed Stanhope Alexander Forbes ; “Dated….” or “Inscribed Stanhope Alexander Forbes ” means that then in their opinion the work has been signed/dated/or inscribed by that specific artist. The addition of a question mark ? however, indicates a strong element of doubt.

When the term 'bears signature',
is used or the name, Stanhope Alexander Forbes is specified followed by the words; "With signature ….”, or “With date ….” or “With inscription….” or “Bears signature of Stanhope Alexander Forbes /date/or inscription” Then in 'their opinion,' the signature / date / or inscription is spurious, forged or has been added by someone else other than the artist.